Kathy Mattea to host W. Va. coal mining movie screening
Did you know that country artist Kathy Mattea is from West Virginia? Well, you do now.
The movie Mountain Top Removal caught Kathy’s attention when she saw it at the Nashville Film Festival, and she was so moved by the documentary that she’s hosting her own free screening of it.
The movie is about environmental destruction caused by mountain top coal mining in West Virginia.
“You must see this to believe it. I am saddened that we’ve ‘progressed’ to a point where we think this is an acceptable practice,” Kathy said in a statement.
“Michael O’Connell’s film gives voice to those that have no multi-million dollar PR firm to tell their story. The visuals are gut-wrenching–there are no words to describe the devastation.”
This is the film, by the way, that got the 2008 Reel Current Award from former VP Al Gore at the film festival.
The free screening happens at 5:30 p.m. July 10 at The Basement, 8th Avenue South.
William H. Macy jokes that Jews fund Hollywood
Uncomfortable!
William H. Macy (Fargo) was in town Thursday night to screen his new indie film, The Deal, a romantic comedy co-starring Meg Ryan. The movie is a spoof about Hollywood movie-making, and filmmakers poke fun at all Hollywood stereotypes.
To that extent, Macy wore a yarmulke, a Jewish skull cap, on the red carpet outside Regal Green Hills Cinemas.
And he told me why: “Because it’s a gag. Because it’s a film about making film. And it’d be tough to have showbiz without Jews, wouldn’t it? I mean, they’re the funniest people on Earth. And they also fund the whole thing.”
Wow.
Nashville Film Festival organizers insisted that Macy was “being silly” when he told me that, and he was continuing to poke fun at Hollywood stereotypes.
Those comments aside, it was truly a William H. Macy lovefest on the red carpet, and I’m happy to say Macy stopped and chatted with fans and signed autographs for dozens of folks who came out to greet him.
Also on the carpet: Emerson Drive, cable TV motorcycle maker Wild Bill, Titans placekicker Rob Bironas, beautiful country sister trio Carter’s Chord, singer/songwriter Jessi Alexander and others.
Trace is gonna turn it into Hillbilly Hollywood
So we reported last night that Trace Adkins is making his acting debut in an indie film called Trailer Park of Terror.
He plays — quite ably, I might add — the role of the devil.
You can check that out at the Green Hills Regal theaters as part of the Nashville Film Festival at 10:15 p.m. April 19 and 9 p.m. April 23.
And Trace may even be there for one of the screenings.
Oh, but that’s not all, folks.
Trace is in L.A. right now shooting a bigger film with Jon Voight and Kelsey Grammar (Frasier) called American Carol.
I hope to have a clip of the Trailer Park of Terror film up soon. Meantime, you can get a quick glimpse of Trace in that movie by going to my video player on the right.
